On offshore locations (e.g., oil rigs, other semisubmersibles, cruise ships, etc.), it is necessary to maintain a roster of each individual that is present, and to periodically verify the presence of each individual, typically through attendance at a mandatory gathering and role call, dubbed a “muster drill.” Due to the cumbersome and time-consuming nature of such practices, electronic, partially automated means for verifying attendance have been developed, such as through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that can be presented at designated locations by individuals, for scanning, such that an electronic attendance record can be generated and automatically compared to a roster.
However, conventional electronic scanning systems, while an improvement over a manual role call procedure, are restricted in their functionality by the limitations of the equipment. For example, RFID tags can only be detected when within proximity of a reader/scanner device, typically restricting such systems to the verification of individuals that pass through “choke points” (e.g., entrances and exits to selected areas) or predetermined gathering points for attendance verification purposes. Such systems are also generally limited to verifying the presence or absence of a specific RFID tag at a single discrete location and at a single discrete time and can only be used to detect other information, such as an individual remaining idle in a hazardous area or an individual moving at an unsafe speed, inferentially (e.g., by noting the absence of a detected RFID tag at an exit after a hazardous area was entered, or by noting the time elapsed between detection of an RFID tag at a first scanner and detection at a second scanner).
In a similar manner, when transporting materials (tools, parts, equipment, etc.) between storage and/or maintenance locations and remote and/or hazardous locations, such as offshore drilling rigs, it is necessary to inventory such materials, both before and after transit. During transit, it is possible for items to be lost or damaged. Similar limitations and difficulties are inherent in the use of RFID tags and similar technology to monitor equipment as those described above with regard to personnel.
A need exists for systems and methods capable of continuous monitoring of locations of individuals and equipment, e.g., for tracking purposes, while discrete location of individuals and/or equipment at various checkpoints can be used as a redundancy feature and to provide additional information.
A need also exists for systems and methods capable of monitoring the speed and orientation of individuals and/or equipment, while maintaining equipment that is small enough to remain wearable (e.g., attached to or within an article of clothing or jewelry) without impacting a user's movement or undertakings, and small enough to remain unobtrusive (e.g., without adding significant weight or bulk) when transporting equipment.
A further need exists for systems and methods that seamlessly and automatically recognize emergent situations, such as the absence of an expected individual or critical piece of equipment, movement at an unsafe speed (e.g., indicative of a fall or dripped piece of equipment), presence of an individual in an unsafe or unauthorized location, or an idle individual in a hazardous location for an extended period of time, and provide an alert responsive to the detection of such situations.
An additional need exists for systems and methods able to be quickly and conveniently modified to disregard certain expected deviations from parameters, such as an individual briefly traveling out of range of detection to complete a task (e.g., a “walkabout”), equipment deliberately moved to a non-standard location for maintenance or storage, or similar acceptable exceptions.
A need also exists for systems and methods able to seamlessly integrate unspecified or equipment-based locatable devices, such that individuals separated from a locatable device can access a separate device located, for example, in an escape vessel or on a piece of emergency equipment (e.g., a life vest).
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure meet these needs.